I've embraced veganism for a few years now, and during this time, I've nearly mastered the art of recreating most of my beloved desserts at home, all plant-based and cruelty-free. From birthday cakes to sticky date puddings and lemon meringue pies, I've nailed them, and if baking isn't an option, I can usually find a place to buy them (hello vegan Golden Gaytimes). Yet, there's one treat that eludes me: a vegan equivalent of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Few delights compare to a fresh Original Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut, a craving I've pursued since I first eliminated eggs and dairy from my diet.

Don't get me wrong, there are some fantastic vegan doughnuts out there — I've tasted vegan cinnamon doughnuts that surpass anything I had before going plant-based, and there's a nearby bakery that crafts fresh vegan jam and cream doughnuts I'd part with my first-born for.

However, a straightforward glazed doughnut? Somehow, no one has perfected a vegan version — and unfortunately, neither has Krispy Kreme. The iconic doughnut brand introduced two (2) new vegan doughnuts, yet neither were versions of the OG glazed. Tragic! Nevertheless, in the name of journalism, I decided to give them a try.

The first vegan offering from Krispy Kreme, the Apple Custard Crumble, is a fluffy, round doughnut dipped in icing that tastes of cinnamon and rolled in vanilla biscuit crumble. It's filled with an apple-flavored custard. Initially, the fruity-flavored custard seemed odd to me, but I can confirm: it works. The entire doughnut genuinely tastes like a spicy, sweet apple crumble in doughnut form, and I devoured two at once because I was amazed. My professional verdict? That delight is good.

The doughnuts are incredibly soft, the custard captures the essence of real stewed apples (avoiding that artificial green apple taste), and the crumble on top achieves the perfect balance between cinnamon and sugar. It’s not overly dominant in either but maintains a delightful (and delicious) harmony.

But, you might ask, how can I truly vouch for the quality of this doughnut if I haven't tasted a dairy one recently? How can I make a fair comparison?

Well, I shared my findings with the PTV office, and my non-vegan colleague Ellie exclaimed: “I’m so surprised these are vegan, they don’t taste like it at all.”

Despite the backhanded compliment (RIP), I take this as a positive endorsement.

As for the Fudge Brownie Bliss, to me it was... average. I must admit, I've never been fond of chocolate-FLAVORED items (chocolate ice cream, chocolate mousse) and prefer my chocolate in bar form (or in homemade desserts). So, I was already biased against this doughnut.

The Fudge Brownie Bliss doughnut is also fluffy and filled with a rich brownie batter, dipped in chocolate icing, and topped with chocolate biscuit crumbs.

Honestly, it was just a bit too chocolatey for me. It took three sittings and two cups of tea to finish because it was so rich and sweet. It's probably not something I would personally choose to eat again or purchase, but I can say you'll get your money's worth — I got three servings out of one treat. A little goes a long way?

In conclusion, I think vegans will really enjoy these doughnuts, and personally, I'd go wild for another box of the Apple Crumble Custard ones.

But I am curious — when will Krispy Kreme introduce vegan Original Glazed doughnuts? Trust me, that's what the (plant-based) community desires!

Oh, I should also mention that the vegan Krispy Kreme doughnuts are unfortunately limited edition and only available until December 4. After that, vegans, we must fend for ourselves once more.